Deadline/Entry Fees

Rules

PLEASE READ ALL RULES BEFORE SUBMITTING!

When submitting your project, please e-mail us with your project information and genre selection at Kristina@WorldEOnline.com. This must be received by e-mail to ensure your submission goes into the proper judging category. Please note that we may, in our own discretion, move your project into a different genre if we feel it is a better fit for that genre. This does not happen often, but we want to ensure your project is in the right category. However, we still need your selected genre e-mailed to us. Please select only ONE.

There are NO restrictions as to when your script was completed or where it has been released. Anyone may enter the competition. All entries must receive an average score of 90 or above in the judging process to qualify for award placement.

Please note, if your project qualifies for an award, you or a direct representative from your project must be in attendance at the festival in order to receive any physical awards. Non-attending winners will be e-mailed award certificates after the event.

All submissions - whether accepted or not - come with ONE complimentary 4-day event pass to the festival. Any additional passes must be purchased in advance or at the door.

You may withdraw your submission at any time, but there are no refunds on submissions.

By submitting this script, you acknowledge that it is your own original work and you are authorized to submit it to competition.

The individual or corporation submitting this script shall indemnify and hold harmless The Indie Gathering from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits and publicity.

Awards

Awards up to 4th place in each category, as well as honorable mentions. Awards to attending winners include trophies, plaques, and certificates. Grand champion belt to best overall script. Additional sponsored awards for 2019 TBA.

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Interviews

MovieBytes Interview:Screenwriter Ken Mora

Q: What's the title of the script you entered in this contest, and what's it about?

A: I entered two, this first place win in the comedy category was for "Magnum Farce", a Naked Gun style spoof of the Dirty Harry movies. The plot draws from those films and has a contemporary political twist. I also won runner-up honors for my action script Ms. Valkyrie.

Q: What made you enter this particular contest? Have you entered any other contests with this script? If so, how did you do?

A: I had such a positive experience at last year‘s Century City Film Festival contest that I‘m entering more film-fest based competitions. Indie Gathering seemed a natural fit since it was Indie production that got the whole farce genre going with Kentucky Fried Movie which spawned the great farces: Airplane, Naked Gun, etc. It was with a great sense of homage to the Zuckers/Abrahams, as well as to Clint Eastwood, that I created this project.

Q: Were you satisfied with the adminstration of the contest? Did they meet their deadlines? Did you receive all the awards that were promised?

A: Absolutely. To start with, the entrance fee includes a full weekend pass to the fest. My only regret is that I could attend at the last minute. Since I couldn‘t go I‘ve corresponded with Indie Gathering‘s CEO Ray Szuch a few times and was always responded to in less than one day. My zoetrope.com friend and fellow writer Jeff Heckman was gracious enough to attend and says he had a blast. Did I receive all the awards promised? How about a 5ft.and a two and a half foot tall trophy for my win and runner up! I also eagerly await the inktip.com listing that I’ll utilize for Magnum Farce.

Q: Were you given any feedback on your script? If so, did you find the feedback helpful?

A: There’s no promise of judging feedback, so I don’t expect any.

Q: Has your success in this contest helped you market your script? Were you contacted by any agents, managers or producers?

A: Always great to score a win. Along with my finalist finish for an earlier version submitted to redinkworks.com I’ve already garnered some nice resume fodder. My current semi-finalist standing in a couple others pending final awards helps, and I‘ve got this out to a few more.

Q: What's your background? Have you written any other screenplays or television scripts?

A: My first screenplay, Caravaggio: A Light Before The Darkness, now has a Director attached: Heinrich Dahms of Buzzmedia (buzzmedia.net) who is currently seeking European production partners. He begins principal photography this December on a script based on the life of Mozart‘s sister, a prodigy in her own right, called “Wonder Child“ by Anthony Zaccaro. So, I‘m happy to be high on Dahm’s roster of developing projects.

Q: Do you live in Los Angeles? If not, do you have any plans to move there?

A: Yes, I’m an L.A. native, but these days you really don’t need to be. Why bring traffic headaches into your life if you’re not already here? I think one thing Indie Gathering proves is that there's interest in making quality film everywhere.

Q: What's next? Are you working on a new script?

A: I’m always working on new features. Most developed is a romantic comedy about an artist and a lawyer too busy with career to pursue love, who then fall in love despite their plans. I’m also developing a time-traveler script with a deeply conflicted protagonist who seeks to control the flow of time, even as he looses control of his life. Additionally, I’m co-writing a contemporary thriller featuring a protagonist assailed by demons in a Carlos Castaneda-style-reality set near the US/Mexico border.
In addition, I’ve become one of the top paid mentors at heliumfeedback.com, so I’m constantly helping others to achieve a contest-winning polish for their scripts.